NEWS: Robert Lindsay stars in Terry Johnson’s Prism in new Hampstead season

Hampstead Theatre presents the world premiere of Terry Johnson’s delightfully witty and poignant new play Prism, based on the extraordinary life of double Oscar-winning cinematic master Jack Cardiff. The new play, running 6 September to 14 October 2017, opens the new autumn season at Hampstead Theatre, which also comprises Nicholas Wright‘s new play The Slaves of Solitude and artistic director Edward Hall’s revival of Simon Gray‘s 1995 comedy Cell Mates.

In Prism,written and directed by Terry Johnson, Robert Lindsay returns to Hampstead Theatre (How I Got That Story, 1981) as Jack, ‘the man who made women look beautiful’, and will be joined by Claire Skinner, Rebecca Night and Barnaby Kay.

Legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff has retired to the sleepy village of Denham, Buckinghamshire. His days of hard work – and play – on some of the most famous sets in the world are now long behind him, as are his secret liaisons with some of the most famous women in the world… Surrounded by memorabilia from a lifetime of ‘painting with light’, the writing of an autobiography should be an easy matter – were it not that Jack would now rather live in the past than remember it.

The Slaves of Solitude, adapted from Patrick Hamilton‘s 1947 novel about an unlikely wartime heroine and directed by Jonathan Kent, runs at Hampstead Theatre from 20 October to 25 November 2017. In 1943, Miss Roach is forced by the war to flee London for Henley-on-Thames’ Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house, which is as grey and lonely as its residents. But a breath of fresh air arrives in the form of a handsome American Lieutenant and things start to look distinctly brighter.

Artistic director Edward Hall helms the first production of Simon Gray’s Cell Mates since 1995 (when Stephen Fry famously abandoned the premiere production), running at Hampstead Theatre 30 November 2017 to 20 January 2018. In Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London, 1961, one of Britain’s most notorious double agents, George Blake, is serving a 42 year sentence – that is, until he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Irish petty criminal, Sean Bourke.

Artistic Director Edward Hall commented on today’s announcement of the autumn season and other new initiatives:

“I’m extremely proud to announce such an exciting body of work at Hampstead Theatre this autumn. With two world premieres on the Main Stage, Terry Johnson’s Prism and Nicholas Wright’s adaptation of The Slaves of Solitude, and a long overdue revival of Simon Gray’s Cell Mates, our aim is to continue to provide endless nights of top quality and entertaining theatre for hundreds of thousands of theatregoers. I’m personally looking forward to Gray’s gripping espionage thriller and I hope to help it gain its rightful place in the repertoire as a serious, brilliant piece of British drama.

“I’m also proud to introduce ‘Inspire: The Next Playwright Programme’, where 18-25 years olds have the opportunity to be mentored by Roy Williams for a year, developing their writing skills and script ideas. We also hope our new membership scheme for under 30s will provide even better access to our cheaper tickets across both of our auditoria. This scheme will offer priority booking ensuring that great theatre remains accessible to the next generation and is an expression of our commitment at Hampstead Theatre to audiences of the future.”